Drinks suppliers under fire from industry watchdog

Related tags Portman group Alcoholic beverage

Drinks suppliers Bass Brewers and Bestway Cash and Carry have come under fire from a drinks watchdog for breaching the industry code of...

Drinks suppliers Bass Brewers and Bestway Cash and Carry have come under fire from a drinks watchdog for breaching the industry code of practice.

Alcoholic energy drink Red, produced by Bass Brewers, was condemned because the independent complaints panel of drinks watchdog, The Portman Group, ruled that the word "invigorating" on its label suggested that the drink could enhance mental and physical performance, in contravention of the code.

A complaint against Turbo White, a strong white cider manufactured by Bestway Cash and Carry, was also upheld because its alcoholic strength was the dominant theme of the product, thus breaching the rules of the code.

As a result, licensees have been asked not to place orders for either of these drinks until necessary changes are made to both packaging and, in the case of Turbo White, the name.

A spokesman for Bass said: "Bass Brewers strictly adheres to the regulations laid out in The Portman Group's Code of Practice, and Red's packaging was cleared by The Portman Group's pre-launch advisory service.

"As a responsible marketing organisation, we are duty bound to abide by The Portman Group's subsequent ruling."

Related topics Legislation

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